I've been thinking of encouraging my budgies to breed next year (age...), and I have been wondering when mating season is, how long it takes to hatch an egg, and how long the babies would be fed by their mother for. Could anyone please give me a detailed response so I could decide whether this is right for my budgies and I?

Thanks;

Dave

You make it all sound so simple Dave. Trust me, it is not.

 

There are plenty of places on this forum that you should go to and read the info before you even consider starting. I would encourage you to do this before you do anything else.

 

As for your questions, I am no expert and I do encourage any more experienced breeders to correct my mistakes, but...

 

1. there is no set mating season. it is best to ensure that the birds are in top condition when mating, so ensure they are not moulting and that they are healthy. The strain of laying eggs and raising young is enough to kill a bird, so keep that in mind.

 

2. budgies will mate and then lay an egg, something like 14 days (i think) after mating. The hen may not sit on the egg straight away, she may wait for other eggs to be layed before she sits. Incubation can then take anything from about 18-26 days, depends again on when the hen begins to incubate.

 

3. the hen is pivotal in feeding the young initially, but the father takes over when they get older. Most youngsters are learning to feed themselves after 6 or so weeks. Some earlier, some later.

 

Like I said, read and be prepared. Losing young ones is tough, and that experience is enough to turn you off breeding altogether, trust me, I know.

It's also important to consider what you will do with the babies once they get older, do you have good homes lined up for them or will you be keeping them, etc. Personally I won't take my babies to pet shops as I worry about the treatment and overcrowding and issues of disease which means I have to find homes for them privately.

some good links on the site's FAQ you should check out..

 

Breeding Budgies - What do I need?

 

Points to Consider BEFORE Breeding

 

Don't forget to check out the other threads on this forum as they will often provide you with some invaluable help and advice.

Our Dave McMinn has given some great advice as usual.

Also consider where you will be breeding them...size of cage...current or new and bigger ? Big enough to fly in for up to 8 budgies, Mum, Dad and babies.

Location and type of nestbox.

Ages of budgies ( over 12 months and under 4 yrs )

Are you available to check nests twice daily ? Morning and night ?

This site has fantastic threads and I am sure you will find it very interesting going through and seeing old posts. I know I learnt alot when I first joined up. Welcome to the forum and enjoy your stay here... I agree with what the others have said.

Thanks for all your help, I've got to rethink a couple of things. As for the homes - my friends have expressed real interest in owning a budgie, they seem to love birds, and suddenly asked me about breeding them. I understand why you wouldn't want to put your budgies in a pet store, the employees there usually seem inexperienced when it comes to budgies and other birds.